Disability SOS - Save Our Summer!

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Do you remember the summer holidays when you were young? Remember the endless days outside, playing with friends, going for a swim, playing football, monkeying around at the park? Summer was bliss!

There is a problem!

This isn't the case for Pip and Danny and their 2 children, Charlie and Millie. Charlie has Cerebral Palsy (brain damage), which affects his whole body. He spends most of his time in a wheelchair, he can't talk and is dependent on others for all his self-help skills including feeding, toileting and washing.

Charlie is also massively social and happy. He loves people and communicates through his computer and signing. He loves movement and exercise and asks to do his exercises every day. But the facilities to do this are non-existent in the community so all his equipment to help him get active has to be at home which means Charlie does them on his own.

Getting out and about for play and meeting friends is also hard. He can't access the park, soft play, sports clubs or swimming because of his physical difficulties. Play dates are tricky due to his care needs, and the options to go out and play with Millie (who he adores) are extremely limited.

Charlie is just one of almost a million children and young people with disabilities in the UK! And the fact is that 84% of children and young people with disabilities can't access regular leisure facilities so their health and well being, and that of their families, suffers. Summer holidays are a time to dread.

What are we doing about it?

I run a physio practice for disabled children and have seen first hand the lack of opportunity, but also the huge benefit of exercise and play for children with all disabilities. I started working on a solution in 2016 and it didn't take long to gather a huge supporting network.

We are

and we have a plan!

We plan to open the UK's first, fully inclusive leisure centres around the country which will cater for the play, exercise and friendship needs of the million children and young people from 0-25 years old with disabilities in the UK, and eventually around Europe and further.

The first centre will be in Bristol and will cater for the needs of the 58,000 disabled children and young people in the Bristol area.

But this has never been done before and will take 4 years before it opens. Families can't wait this long and we need to prove our concept and show there is the need for future investors. We are, therefore, running a 4 week pop up centre in Bristol this summer.

At the Pop Up, Charlie and Millie will be able to access and enjoy a soft play room, indoor playground, music room, trampolines, sensory room and gym together.They can play, laugh and get active in a safe and fully accessible environment.They will be doing exercise and getting healthy without even realising it. They will also be surrounded by other children to make friends and play with.

Pip and Danny can relax in the cafe, can meet others and pick up handy tips that only other parents with children with disabilities seem to know.

And we expect over 2000 visits from other children with their families over the 4 weeks.

The need is gigantic, the response has been electric and the results will be happier, healthier and more socially enriched children and families.

But we aren't stopping here! The Pop Up is the stepping stone to creating the country's first, fully inclusive leisure centre which will cater for the needs of the 58,000 disabled children and young people in the Bristol area. And we aren't even stopping there. We plan to build Gympanzees centres around the UK to provide fun, fitness and friendship to every disabled child in the UK. The Pop Up will provide the proof that Bristol and the UK NEEDS THIS.

Why we need to hit £43K and what we will do with your contribution.

We need £60,000 to set up and run the Pop Up. We have already recieved £17k in grants since January, some of which has been spent on:

Professional Fees: £1,200

Website and Marketing Fees: £1,750

Staff costs: £9,300

Office, fundraising, training costs: £450

but we still need £43,000 to continue setting up and running the Pop Up.

The £43K (+ £4,300 left from grants) will go on:

School Rental and premisis costs: £4500

Equipment Costs including play and disability equipment: £13,500

Staff costs up until, and to run the Pop Up: £23,500

Insurance: £1100

Cafe: £4,700

What happens if we get more or less?

We would love to smash this total to show how much support and need there is for Gympanzees. This will provide valuable support for our bids for funding for the main Gympanzees Centre. Any extra funds will pay for the development of the Bristol Gympanzees Centre.

If we don't reach our target we will run the Pop Up for fewer days, but with the amazing support we continue to receive, we don't believe it will come to this!

And here’s some amazing perks for supporting us that you can’t live without

As well as the incredible sense of fulfilment you will feel in being part of this project, you can also recieve a "perk" as a small thankyou for donating. Any donation over £50 can choose a smaller perk instead/ as well as your perk.

Benefits of exercise

Reduces obesity (children with disabilities are twice as likely to be obese)

Improves sleep

Improved lung health which can increase life expectancy

Controls or slows progression of chronic disease

OTHER BENEFITS:

Social and psychological benefits from making friends and playing with others

Improved cognition

A reduction in challenging behaviours, improved concentration and participation for many with ASD, ADHD and sensory processing disorders

An increased release of endorphins helps with mental health problems

How will the Pop Up run?

The Gympanzees Pop Up Activity Centre will be held at Emerson’s Green Primary School for 4 weeks in August 2018. EGPS is a resource school – it has provision for children with disabilities to be fully integrated within the school. As such it is fully accessible for children with disabilities – with accessible parking, general disabled access and specialised toileting with hoists and changing beds. It will have hoists in each room and is purposefully well lit for children with visual impairments.

The Pop Up will have 5 indoor rooms-soft play, indoor playground, gym, music room and sensory room. It will also have trampolines and a cafe outside. Parents are responsible for their children but there will be staff to help out.

The Pop Up will be open 10am-4pm Monday-Friday from 30th July - 24th August. Each day will have four sessions with different combinations of:

*Gympanzees - mixed session for children and young people of all abilities and disabilities, with siblings and friends. *Gorillas - for those loud, physical and challenging chimps that need to be ‘king of the jungle’ and have more fun when there are fewer rivals about (reduced numbers session). *Leopards - for those that prefer space, quiet and more peaceful surroundings. *Butterflies - beautiful but fragile, these sessions are for those that need to avoid any bangs and bumps.

Each group will have two different age groups (0-11yrs and 11-25yrs) except Gorillas who are just 11-25yrs. They will also be a mix of sibling and no sibling sessions. In this way, we hope to provide slots for everyone.

We will be keeping the numbers of visitors to between 15 children or young people with disabilities per session and up to 30 if siblings attend too, to keep the noise down.

Our future plans

We have a big vision! We pan to open activity/ leisure centres across the UK to cater for all children and young people with disabilities. The first centre will be in Bristol. Please click here to read more about our vision and what we are planning.

COME JOIN OUR REVOLUTION

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Offline donation

Fundraiser

Ellie Kelly

£778

Raised of
£2,000

Help us save the holidays! A summer of having fun, friends and fitness - surely every child's right? Enable kids with disabilities who normally can't, can and those who don't, do!

Sponsor one of our fabulous pieces of small equipment at the pop up! This involves placing you name or company name onto the device. You will also go on our website as a sponsor.
Small equipment could be a piece of musical equipment, sensory toys and equipment or small gym equipment such as an ijoy or gym ball.

Sponsor one of our fabulous larger pieces of equipment at the Pop Up. This involves placing your name or company name and logo onto the equipment. You will also go on our website as a sponsor.
Examples of pieces of equipment are an Innowalk, a Motomed, a treadmill, a swing or a trampoline,

Your name or company name and logo will be featured on the lower third of the rollar banners which will be at the entrance to the Pop Up and in the Cafe for all visitors to see. The poster will also be featured in press where possible.
Your name (and company logo if relevant) will also go as one of our main sponsors on our website and you will be thanked publicly on social media.

Sponsor one of the six main rooms in the Pop Up – Soft Play, Gym, Indoor playground, Sensory room, Trampolines or Music room. Name on the door and marketing material within the room. Second prominence on entrance and café roller banner.
All sponsors will also receive acknowledgement of support:
Rollar banner will be featured in press where possible.
On Gympanzees social media
Logo and short bio to be featured on the Gympanzees website

Become our Key supporter of the Pop Up, where your name will be linked to the Pop Up – e.g. ‘Gympanzees Pop Up, in association with..’. This is a fantastic opportunity to be partnered with Gympanzees and our challenge. This will be featured on all future Pop Up printed marketing material, and in all press materials (we are working towards being featured in local and national press). Logo and name will be on a prominent place on the rollar banner at the entrance and in the café/ social area. Logo will be on wrist band given to all guests, as well as on coffee cups in the café.
All sponsors will also receive acknowledgement of support:
On Gympanzees social media
Logo and short bio to be featured on the Gympanzees website